Show News AIMCAL Pavilion to Debut at CMM 2003 NEW YORK, NY, USA—CMM Events and the Association of Industrial Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL) report the launch of an AIMCAL Pavilion at CMM Intl. 2003. The pavilion will provide AIMCAL members with what is said to be a cost-effective method of showcasing their products and technologies. AIMCAL members will receive complimentary entrance to the exhibits and discounts on selected conference sessions. AIMCAL also will conduct educational sessions as part the event's conference program.

CMM will take place April 14-17 at Chicago's McCormick Place. For more information contact Jane McDermott at Paperloop Events, 212/268-4160; cmmshow.com.

Corrugated Container Conference Corr Expo Offers Full Slate With a full schedule of conference sessions and more than 100 trade fair exhibitors, TAPPI’s 2002 Corrugated Container Conference and Corr Expo provided attendees (PFFC included) with the latest in industry trends and products. Held October 27--30, 2002, at the Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome in Indianapolis, IN, the four-day event kicked off with a full day of TAPPI committee meetings. Monday’s opening session featured a keynote address by Dr. Roger D. Blackwell, Ohio State University marketing professor and president of Roger Blackwell Associates Inc. Also during the opening session was the presentation of the 2002 TAPPI Corrugated Containers Division Awards. Recipients included James T. Carbone, who received the Technical Award and Bettendorf Prize; Russell L. Smith, honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award; and Robert A Sukenik, who received the Leadership and Service Award. The conference’s featured event, a panel discussion entitled "The Future of Food Packaging," focused on industry trends and the expectations of retail executives of their corrugated suppliers. Discussion ranged from the importance of package appeal to the innovations in package security. Another conference highlight were two "What’s New" sessions showcasing the latest products from the industry’s leading suppliers. The Corr Expo 2002 Trade Fair, held Monday and Tuesday of the conference, allowed conference attendees the opportunity to network with more than 100 industry suppliers. On display were winning entries from the recent CorrPak contest, including containers and corrugated displays from Packaging Corp of America, Grief Bros. Corp, Fleetwood Container and Display, Interstate Container, and Smurfit Image Pac. For more information contact TAPPI at 800/332-8686; 800/446-9431; tappi.org.

A great deal of information was presented in a short period of time. Sessions were divided into two general categories: coating/laminating and vacuum web coating. Coating/laminating topics included environmental concerns; gravure coating; PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive) product testing; laminating adhesives; release systems; and many more. Thin-film barrier coatings, blister packages, laser imaging, slitting, and surface treatment were a few of the many topics in the vacuum web coating sessions. Vendor sessions and a tabletop exhibit /reception rounded out the conference. For information on future AIMCAL activities, contact the association at 803/802-7820; aimcal.org.

IPST Plans to Merge with Georgia Tech ATLANTA, GA, USA—The board of trustees of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) has agreed in principle to pursue a merger of IPST with the Georgia Institute of Technology as of July 1. The board of regents of the University System of Georgia must approve the merger.

According to A.D. “Pete” Correll, chairman of the IPST board, “Georgia Tech is an outstanding school and merging the research and academic operations of IPST with them is a very positive outcome in our search for a merger partner… [The school] has an outstanding science, computing, and engineering skill base that we can draw upon….”

Purchases InteliCoat Purchases SKC Division SOUTH HADLEY, MA, USA—InteliCoat Technologies signed an asset purchase agreement with SKC America's Sunnyvale, CA, division. The division will become part of the InteliCoat Technology Electronic & Engineered Films business unit under the direction of Stephen Polston, VP and general manager.

Supplier News Film Business Turns to Davis-Standard Davis-Standard will be supplying the first extrusion system for Ajedium Film Group's new high-performance film business. Ajedium, Newark, DE, will manufacture films for the electronics, telecommunications, chemical processing, semiconductor, medical, and other high-tech industries.

Explains Kathie Cerchio, director of Ajedium Film Group, “We began looking for a system integrator to build equipment for our high-performance business in January 2002. After four months of extensive research, we decided the line should be built by Davis-Standard. [They] had a strong sense of what we need. They have a strong reputation, an experienced engineering team, and they took us a step further than we had originally planned by providing coextrusion technology.”

The custom-engineered line, which will be capable of high-temperature monolayer and coextrusion up to three layers, was slated to be operational by the end of 2002.Supplier Information Davis-Standard, Pawcatuck, CT; 860/599-1010; davis-standard.com

Just Zip It In response to consumer requests for easier resealability, Kraft Foods has introduced packaging for its shredded cheese featuring a “slider” zipper. The new feature represents one of the first applications of the patented Zip-Pak Slider applied in-line to packaging. The newest packaging from ZIP-PAK USA reportedly provides features that consumers expect from food packaging: a hermetic seal for freshness and packaging integrity; and easy opening, in this case, delivered by a laser-scored top that can be removed easily before the first use.

According to Robert Hogan, director of sales at ZIP-PAK, the Kraft package was designed to open easily and stay closed. “The laser score at the top makes it easy for the consumer to completely remove the film at the top of the package.”

Hogan adds, “The category of shredded cheese has long been a pioneer when it comes to packaging solutions. And in many ways, the category's success was driven by the convenience zippered packaging afforded. What good was a convenience product like shredded cheese with a package that required a lot of work?”

The sale does not include the company's interest in Dalton Paper Products Inc., which operates a tube facility in Dalton, GA.

Smurfit-Stone will receive approximately $80 million in cash from the sale and will retain approximately $12 million in receivables from the business.

The sale of the industrial packaging operations is consistent with Smurfit-Stone's strategy to focus on containerboard, corrugated containers, and consumer packaging.

Says Patrick J. Moore, president and CEO, “The industrial packaging operations fit well with Caraustar's strategic business plan and will complement their existing product offerings. The transaction should be beneficial for Smurfit-Stone, our employees and shareholders, and Caraustar.”

SGIA Signs Agreement with OSHA on Ergonomics FAIRFAX, VA, USA—The Screenprinting and Graphic Imaging Association International (SGIA) has teamed with Printing Industries of America and Graphic Arts Technical Foundation to sign what is said to be the first-ever alliance between the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and an industry. The agreement, signed June 18, will address ergonomic hazards found in printing and related graphic communications processes.

The partners will work to cross-train through the use of best practices and programs. Further, the alliance will work toward the goals of encouraging the graphic arts industry to act as industry liaisons for OSHA cooperative programs, to develop and share information supporting solutions to ergonomic hazards, and to participate in forums that help forge innovative solutions to ergonomic issues in the workplace. According to SGIA, the graphic communications industries believe the agreement “will be invaluable in locating and preventing ergonomic hazards in numerous workplaces.

Industry Studies FPI Issues Report on Foodservice Packaging FALLS CHURCH, VA, USA—According to this year's State of the Foodservice Packaging Industry Report issued by the Foodservice & Packaging Institute, the single-use foodservice packaging industry is looking and feeling very healthy these days.

The 155-p. report, including 115 charts and graphs, details an industry that continues to experience modest but steady growth in volume and profit for the second year in a row, both in North America and Europe.

In addition to consumer demands that drive the industry, the report's “News of the Industry” section says the continuing expansion of restaurants into new ethnic food concepts and “to-go” service at formerly sit-down facilities also are creating new demands for single-use packaging.

Sums up FPI president John R. Burke, “The data and trends contained in this year's [report] show that single-use foodservice packaging use continues to grow because people everywhere find themselves time-pressed by technology and coping with increasingly complex lifestyles that have become part of modern life.”

Awards Golden Mummy, Pyramid Awards Honor Film Use ExxonMobil Chemical Films, Macedon, NY, honored excellence and innovation in flexible packaging and labels at the 16th annual Golden Mummy and Pyramid Awards ceremony, held in November in conjunction with Pack Expo 2002. The awards banquet recognized three Golden Mummy winners for flexible packaging and four Pyramid winners for labels, in various applications using ExxonMobil films.

“Our customers continue to impress us with exciting flexible packaging and labeling solutions that help their products where it counts most — on the store shelf,” says Jim Ashmore, Americas sales and marketing manager for ExxonMobil Chemical. “Every award-winning application clearly illustrates the teamwork involved to achieve new standards in packaging and labeling design.”